The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-09-13
THIS WICKED WORLD.
Horrible Fate of an Unknown
Woman Near Savannah.
THE DOORS OPEN AND $4,000 GONE.

SAvANNAH, Ca, September s.-[Srecial. i
Beneath the overhanging boughs OF clump
of pine trees a few hundred yards northeast of
Beaulien, the remains of an unknown muir
dered woman were today inferred in the black
mold Of the woods. Who shewas, and whence
she came, were alike mystery, nor was there
scarce a clue to the fend who took her life.
All that was known to anyone present was that
the body had been found yesterday afternoon,
and beside it were the barrel and broken stock
of an Old musket. For several days residents
in the neighborhood have noticed
BUZZARDs LOWERING OVER THE WOODS.
Yesterday Mr. Carter, a farmer, while look
ing for his cattle, was attracted by the smell of
a dead body, and he went into a thcllet of tall
weeds, almost as high as himself. There he
saw CHASTITY skull bleached almost white,
pair of bony arms stretched out upon the
ground, and the lower limbs, fieshless slightly
drawn up. He hurriedly left the spot and
alarmed the neighborhood. A message was
sent into the city, and this morning Captain
w. ID. Dixon, the county coroner, went out to
hold the inquest. There was very little mate
rial evidence obtainable. So far decomposed
was the body that it was impossible to identify
it by any features or marks. In fact it was
scarcely more than a skeleton with few
clothes about the body.
THE BLONDE TATR WAS CURLED
;
shred. When the body was turned over it
was lying ON its face. When found, the right
jaw was found to have been crushed in, and
the teeth had fallen out Altogether it was as
horrible and wicked sight as those gathered
about had ever looked upon. DR.. I. L.
Chisholm and the coroner cut the clothing
away, and found small clasp purse with
small iron chain attached. In it were two
keys. There was not a scrap of paper about
or anything to throw further light ON the
TRAGEDY. n n "a hoo
been dead two weeks, and possibly longer.
Her clothing was so discolored that the origi-
nal cOlors could scarcely be told. The skirt
was originally of light-striped material, and
under it she wore gray petticoat with a red
stripe. Her stockings, both of which were
off, were of dark color Neither hat nor
shoes could be found.
THE OLD BROKEN AfUsKEr
no one could identify. 1t was of Springfield
make and on the left side of the stock was a
large "W'' roughly scratched. But the stock
had been so spattered with blood that the let
ter was not distinguishable until the stock was
scraped clean. The barrel was old and bent.
The tube was very much worn or burned
away, and there was no cap ON it. The
woman had not been shot, but brutality beaten
to death. More than the dead spoke, nothing
could be learned.
Strange to say, not person in the whole
neighborhood remembers having seen
A STRANGE WOMAN
out there, and no one in the neighborhood is
missing. Clarinda JONES' colored woman who
lives NOS far away, said that last Monday
week negro, apparently 45years old, came to
her house and asked for water. He had a tin
bucket and when he had filed it with water
he inquired how he should so to reach Skida-
way. lie came out of the woods from the di-
rection in which the body was found, and he
returned the same way, taking his bucket of
water along with him. He was not watched,
and whether he knew anything of the woman
can't be told. He had brown skin, was
little gray and wore stiff hat with a flat
crown. Nothing was seen of him after he
went Off with the water. The jury could get
no facts that threw any light on the murder,
and their verdict was that the woman was I'M
known and that she was murdered by some
one unknown. DR.. Chisholm stated he
thought she was 25 c" so years old, and had
been dead nearly month.
A PROBABLE CLUE.
A fruit dealer named Sampson, who has a
store at Jefferson and Bryan streets, went out
with the coroner, He remembered having
seen middle aged white man and a young
white woman enter his place about Monday
week ago. They We're strangers, and the
woman vas very reserved. The man went off
and stayed more than half an hour. She said
that the man was her husband. They acted
little strange, Mr.. Sampson thought After
looking at the body this morning. he said that
it was not the same person. He saw the young
woman in his place take two keys out of
purse, but the purse found on the body was
uot tue one, aiIHOuSn ~ contained TWO Keys.
1t was reported that girl
was missing from fruit stand
at York street lane and Whitaker street, but
the proprietor says that the girl clerking for
him is in Yamacraw. The general belief in
the neighbOrhood where the crime was COM
mitted is that the woman was outraged and
murdered 10y some negro. Rev. Mr.. Andrew,
pastor of st. Stephens church, Savannah,
read the burial service, and half dozen coll
pred men lowered the box into the grave.
I'yr-f,Y IF VIII
given to Montgomery within the past two
weeks, on v ednesday two weeks and Friday
before last. Ii is believed possible that some
girl was outraged and murdered by her escort
SAyANNAH, Ga, September Especial. J.
Mr.. Love. OF Montgomery, came into the city
this morning with what he thinks is clue to
the mysterious murder discovered on Wednes-
day. Mr.. Love was at the inquest yesterday
but did not testify. Today he stated that
early in August the schooneTIda G. came up to
Montgomery, and anchored out in the middle
of the river She belonged to Captain Harry
Thompson, a Norwegian, who has been oys-
tering and fishing along the coast for six or
eight years Thompsons wife came ashore
and told some Of her acquaintance that she
intended to quit him.
She had learned that he had another wife,
and did not wish TO go back on the boat. 1t
seems, however, that she did Whether she is
dead or not, is noo known, however. She had
brown hair and so had the woman who was
killed. She vas not well dressed, and neither
was the murdered woman. No shoes were
found at the scene Ct the murder. Thompson
used to hide his wife's Shoes to keep her from
leaving the schooner, and once or twice he cut
her shoes up. 4ir. Loves theory is that either
Thompson, or a sailor he had, named Gleason,
committed the murder. He thinks Mrs
Thompson Went back on the schooner, and
that the boat dropped down to Shipyard creek
There Mrs. Thompson went ashore. A negro
who lives near is reported to have heard them
quarreling. Mr.. Love is OF the opinion that
Thompson followed his wife up toward Burn
side, and that when out OF hearinghe knocked
her in the head. Some think that Gleason had
a hand in the crime. III is reported that on
the same day Mrs. Thompson was at Mont
gomery her husband walked down the railroad
from the direction Of the Burnside station
took a small boat and rowed down to his
vessel. He used to como up to Mont
gomcry quite often, but for a month past
he has not been here. Hois well known along
the coast as far down as Darien, and made ire
quent visits to Sapelo quarantine station.
SAVANNAH, Ca, September 10.-LSpecial. !
just at the moment promising chain of cir
cumstantial evidence had apparently fixed the
woman found murdered near Bulie, tidings
were received from Mrs Agnes Thompson,
Ift 10 Io 7.4t, Ia,